


The Phoenix Family

by Pigeonsplotinsecrecy



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Relationship, Alternate Universe, Child Abuse, Family, Gen, Team as Family, adopted family, adoption au, nikki is bad, various adjustments made to fit au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2020-05-07 20:17:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19216765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pigeonsplotinsecrecy/pseuds/Pigeonsplotinsecrecy
Summary: The AU where Jack, Mac, Riley, Bozer, and Matty are all siblings, who work to get Mac out of a dangerous relationship with his girlfriend, Nikki Carpenter.





	1. Meet the Phoenix Family

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I don't exactly need to be starting another story, but I just couldn't resist. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this!

Maggie Phoenix was good at many things, her job as a psychologist, crafting, baking, cooking, and even darts to name a few, but the thing she hoped to be the best at was being a mom. She had five kids, who had come into her life at different times and at different ages but were each loved endlessly. Nothing gave her more pleasure than being surrounded by her family because she’d never known a love so great as that of a parent loving a child. She was turning sixty-four and all her kids would be coming home for her birthday dinner later that evening, and it felt like Christmas as she prepared the house for the influx of people. Her family all lived in California again after spreading across the country for several years. Even so, her children had demanding jobs that made it harder to get everyone in the same room than Maggie would have liked. Her husband had been gone nearly seven years, but a dull loneliness was still aching in her chest whenever she walked into her big, mostly empty house. It would be nice to have a lively home again if only for an evening.

With thin, slightly arthritic hands, Maggie pulled her dyed blonde hair back into a ponytail, washed her hands, and began making cookie dough. Her children always loved cookies, and she liked to give them treats when they were home because they rarely had time to treat themselves with the long hours they put into making the world a better place, in whatever way they decided to do that. They were all incredible. Bozer sometimes felt bad that he worked in the movie industry, often considered vapid, but Maggie was always quick to reassure him that films could change the world in ways we couldn’t fully understand. Ordinary people wouldn’t understand what Mac did or even Riley, but movies were accessible. There was no telling how many people would be profoundly and unexpectedly impacted by a film, and Maggie understood that in a way many people didn’t. Yes, she decided, Bozer was doing just as much good in the world as her other children, and she wouldn’t let anyone say anything different.

The door creaked open and heavy boots battered the hardwood floor. Handsome Cowboy fragrance wafted into the kitchen, which could only mean one thing: Jack, her oldest and first-born child, who had arrived to her house uncharacteristically early. When she was pregnant with him, he’d been a week overdue when she finally went into labor, so from the time of his birth, on time hadn’t been Jack’s strong suit. Maggie always expected to wait an extra ten minutes for Jack. Sometimes he made it on time or a few minutes early, but sometimes he didn’t, so Maggie factored that possibility in whenever she made plans.

Maggie remembered being eighteen holding her newborn with her beloved Joe by her side, who was only twenty himself. Jack had been such a sweet baby, a little fussy at times but not too fussy that one of those little baby smiles couldn’t quell any frustration or tiredness Maggie might have felt as a new mom.  She and Joe had been young, but Maggie hadn’t wanted to wait to start a family. She’d dreamed of having kids since she was a little girl, swaddling baby dolls and playing house with her sister. Three and a half years later, Matty came along, bringing Jack a worthy companion and adversary, and after a tough delivery, Maggie was told that having more kids would not be in her future. She was a little disappointed, always wanting to have a handful of kids running around, causing a sweet kind of chaos. Despite the pang of disappointment, she was satisfied with her son, daughter, and husband. She raised her kids, content with the two lives she had made, not yet realizing that her family would grow into something much more special.

“Hey, momma,” Jack said kissing his mother’s cheek.

“Hello, Jackie,” she pulled him into a hug, taking her eyes from the cookie batter she was making. “You’re early.”

“You’re baking for your own birthday?”

“I enjoy it,” she said with a smile, smacking Jack’s hand as he tried to take a bite. “Don’t touch my dough with your dirty hands.” Jack had always loved cookie dough. He must have inherited that characteristic from her because cookie dough had always been a special treat shared between them. She’d been slipping Jack bites since he was old enough to beg for them. Pulling out a silver spoon from the silverware drawer, she offered Jack a small spoonful. “Don’t tell the others,” she said conspiratorially, but the truth was that the others wouldn’t hound her for cookie dough anyways— except maybe Bozer who liked sweet things in all their forms—choosing to wait for warm cookies fresh out of the oven instead, like Joe would have. Joe had always liked cookies straight off the pan, the second they came from the oven, even though they would crumble and burn in his hand, not having time to settle into their final form.

“Are the others here yet?”

Maggie shook her head, “You’re the first.”

“I need to talk to Mac,” Jack said with an urgency that sounded professional, more than personal, his cop voice.

“The twins should be here soon, dear. Riley texted that they were on their way.” Riley and Mac were three months apart, but the family always called them “the twins” because of how attached they had been since Maggie had brought them both into her home. When the school wanted to move Mac up a couple grades (because with the way that boy made things blow up, the school wanted him in and out as quickly as possible), Mac had refused because he wanted to be in the same class as his sister (who herself was a genius in her own way). The duo certainly had their differences, but they were both brilliant, abused kids who came to Maggie wanting, but not expecting, love. They both had dead moms and asshole biological fathers, which probably had formed an instant connection between them.

As kids being shoved into a new house, Riley and Mac clung to each other, having met at the group home where they both had been placed until more permanent homes could be found. Within just a couple days of being there, they’d been practically dropped on the Phoenix family’s doorstep. Maggie and Joe, who at the time were emergency foster parents, had welcomed the two kids after an explosive incident had given the group home a burning desire to get the two young geniuses into the hands of suitable foster parents. The two had been labeled “troublemakers” and had been handed to Maggie, who was known for her patience and ability to heal hurting, often labelled “damaged,” children. While curious and bright, the ten and eleven-year-old had a tendency to find trouble, but they quickly melted Maggie’s heart. Who couldn’t love them? Within a year, she and Joe had begun the adoption process. She knew then that there was no way she was letting those kids go. She wanted to make them an official part of her family because she wanted them to be undeniably her children.

“I got some concerning information down at the precinct about Nikki. I don’t want him dating that girl. She’s trouble.” As a police officer, if Jack heard something about Nikki at work, her being trouble meant more than she had personality issues.

“They broke up, anyway.”

“When?” Jack said, looking a little hurt that Mac hadn’t told him. Mac and Jack had always had a special bond despite their large gap in age. As the oldest, Jack was protective of all his siblings, but Mac especially, perhaps because when he’d come to them, he’d looked about three years younger than his ten years, having been malnourished and yet to hit his growth spurt. While Riley had always been able to keep any emotional pain she was feeling from her face, Mac’s sorrow had always seeped through, and the day Jack had met him, Mac’s little face was filled with pain, sagging with the weight of his ten years. When he first saw Mac, Jack couldn’t help but immediately scooping the small boy up, making it his personal mission to make Mac smile as much as possible, and he’d been doing just that ever since.

“Last week.”

“Why didn’t he tell me?”

“Because you’d gloat.” Jack would have been happy, sure, but he wouldn’t have gloated, not intentionally.

“Only because Nikki treats him like shit.” Maggie didn’t love hearing her kids curse, but they were old enough now that she didn’t say anything, and if she did anything, she only gave a mildly scolding look. Plus, she wanted to say words that were a lot worse than shit when it came to Nikki. “I’m glad he’s over her.”

“ _She_ broke up with _him_. Mac’s still just as in love as he ever was, so be gentle with your brother.” Maggie wanted to ask what it was Jack had found about Nikki, but her thought was interrupted by the door opening again . Whatever Jack was going to say didn’t matter much now that Nikki was gone, anyway.

Bozer came into the house, carrying his specialty pastrami. “Maggie!” he exclaimed, giving her a long hug. Boze, who lived in the same neighborhood as the Phoenix family, had been Mac’s first friend and had always stood up against the bullies on Mac’s behalf, so when Bozer’s parents and brother had died in a car crash when he was fourteen, it hadn’t taken much of twelve-year-old Mac’s begging for Maggie to give in to having another kid in her house. Bozer was the perfect addition. Maggie didn’t need a traditional family to have one that surpassed her most wonderful dreams, filling the rooms of the large house with many beautiful faces. Angry and grieving, Bozer entered the Phoenix house during a turbulent part of his life. He had been a rebellious teenager, just as Jack had had his own rebellious streak, but the rage and grief of Bozer’s teenage years had since blunted into a calm, vibrant adulthood.

“Boze! I’m so happy you could be here.”

“I would never miss your birthday!”

“Neither would I,” Matty cut in, giving her mom a hug, having snuck into the house in a very Matty fashion. Even as a little girl, Matty had been a skilled sneaker, creeping around the house without Maggie having any idea until cookies disappeared from the jar and crumbs appeared on Matty’s six-year-old face. Since the cookie exploits, Matty had become a lot better at hiding her tracks. Maggie had a feeling Matty used those skills expertly in her job, but Matty wasn’t at liberty to confirm or deny precisely what she did for a living.

“Matty, I’m not sure how you creep around like that, but one of these days, you’re going to give your mother a heart attack.”

“Or your brother!” Bozer added. Matty grinned. She was proud of her skills, especially when she could use them to mess with her siblings.

The door opened again, revealing three more familiar faces.

“What is she doing here?” Jack asked vehemently, pulling his youngest two siblings away from the blonde woman standing between them.

“I’m his girlfriend, Jack,” Nikki said, a devious look in her eyes as Maggie pulled Riley and Mac into her arms, ignoring Nikki’s presence for a moment.

“My babies,” Maggie said, squeezing them with impressive strength for a woman her age. She stepped back so she could look them over, making sure they were okay. They were adults, but she couldn’t help herself. “Mac, honey, you look a little thin. Don’t they give you any time to eat at that think job of yours? I’ll plump you up in no time.”

Mac laughed. “Mom, you say that every time I’m home. I’m the same as I’ve always been.”

“Well, I’ve made plenty of goodies to make sure of it.” She turned her attention to Riley, “You look a little tired, Riley. Have you been getting enough sleep? You need to take care of yourself if you want to change the world.”

Riley shared an amused grin with Mac. “We’re adults, mom. We know how to eat and sleep without your help, but we appreciate the concern.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it. You two work entirely too hard. All of you kids do.” Riley’s job as a bigshot program developer working to create tech to optimize sustainable development that creates economic and food security in lesser developed countries meant that Riley spent countless hours at her job, often fueling up with coffee instead of z’s, but that really was the way of the whole family. Nevertheless, Maggie was never shy to bring up her worries. Her kids, Mac and Riley especially, tended to put the needs of other people in front of their own to the point of obsession and self-destruction.

Maggie gave Nikki a stiff grin. She’d been raised to be polite, but there was only so much cordiality that a mother could scrounge up for a woman who, as Jack so eloquently put it, treated Mac like shit. “Hello, Mrs. Phoenix,” Nikki said with a cloying smile.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you,” Maggie said in reply, careful to keep her tone neutral.

Nikki pivoted to Mac, “Angus,” she whined, “I’m feeling fatigued. Why don’t we go rest in your old room a while before dinner? You look tired too.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Nikki mostly wanted to divert Mac’s attention from his family so that she remained the center of his universe. She’d been doing that since they met her. Nikki smirked at Maggie as if to say, “I can make him take care of himself in a way you can’t.” Nikki loved pushing Mac away from his family, hollowing a larger space for herself in Mac’s life.

Mac nodded. He had trouble denying Nikki anything. It was even harder for him to tell her no since they had rekindled their relationship. Mac didn’t want to risk losing her again. “If that’s what you want, Nik,” he agreed before guiding her up the steps to where the bedrooms were.

“I thought Mac and Nikki broke up,” Maggie said when Nikki and Mac had left, trying not to let her worry show. She kept her voice hushed. The last thing she wanted was to give Nikki more reason to hate them. Mac was clearly in love, but everyone was skeptical that Nikki felt the same. It seemed more like he was just a prop to her.

“They did,” Riley said with an eyeroll, “but that bitch convinced Mac that he needed her. She made him grovel.” Riley, who had made no attempt to keep her voice quiet, was the only one who could have gotten away with talking about Nikki like that. If Mac heard her, he’d get huffy for a minute, telling her to be nice to his girlfriend, but then he’d let it go. If anyone else dared say anything about Nikki, he’d go on at length about why they were wrong and be miffed about it for the rest of the day at least. The last time Jack had tried to say something bad about Nikki, Mac hadn’t talked to Jack for a week, calling his brother “overprotective,” which wasn’t exactly untrue, but in this case, Jack was being just the right amount of protective.

“If she puts him through anymore bullshit, I’ll make sure she’s never heard from again.” As an operative with the CIA, Matty knew better than anyone how to get rid of undesirable people. Though her family didn’t know precisely what Matty did for a living, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that what Matty did was important and demanded respect.

“She’s exactly like his biological dad,” Riley added, this time lowering her voice because she knew how Mac still struggle with his early childhood, “abusive and manipulative. Mac doesn’t want to admit that she’s terrible. He’d rather tell himself that he’s the problem.”

“My brother isn’t the problem.”

“Duh, Jack, but trying convincing Mac of that. You know how stubborn he can be, and it doesn’t help that he’s a romantic. He wants a perfect love so badly that he’s willing to pretend away the red flags.”

“She’s a criminal. We need to show him that.”

“Jack, calling her a criminal might be a little extreme.”

“You don’t know everything, Mom. This is what I was trying to tell you. Desi,” Jack said in a near whisper, referring to his close friend, a fellow homicide detective, “was working on a case of two identical murders, and the thing connecting the two dead men was Nikki. It’s still early in the case, but it seems to me that she’s mixed up in this somehow, and I don’t like Mac being near that.”

Maggie sighed, “We’ll take care of this after dinner.”

Jack crossed his arms. “That means we can’t kick her out before dinner.”

“Yes, Jack, that’s exactly what it means. It’s my birthday, and I’d like to  have a nice dinner with my family, even if that means breaking bread with Nikki.”

“You’re a better woman than most, mom,” Riley said.

“Yeah, well, it took a lot of practice.” Maggie was going to have a nice meal with her children, and then at some point, she was going to have to figure out what was the best way to handle the Nikki situation without aggravating Mac. She wasn’t sure there was much she could to do other than be there for when things with Nikki inevitably turned sour.


	2. After Dinner Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The siblings confront Mac about Nikki and learn things about her that scare them but don't seem to bother Mac.

Right after dinner, Nikki had called an Uber, good riddance, allowing Mac to stay behind after berating him for never putting her first. While Mac usually gave in to Nikki’s demands, he’d promised his mother that he’d be around for a few days, and he was a man of his word. That didn’t mean he liked disappointing his girlfriend. He dreaded doing something that would result in her icing him out. She knew that silence was the best way to make him come back begging for forgiveness. It made Mac’s skin crawl when someone refused to respond to him, acting like he wasn’t even there, but Mac was sure that Nikki didn’t know how deeply it bothered him.

Jack had gathered all his siblings in the old barn for a customary meeting. Maggie had opted to stay in the kitchen, letting her children work things out among themselves. She would have a talk with her youngest son later, but she wasn’t going to become part of a mob gaging up on him (even if it was with good intentions). She knew that sometimes her children had to converse with each other before they brought anything to her attention.

The barn had long ago been turned into a little hangout space for the kids, a private space away from adult eyes but still close enough that Maggie could check in on them if need be. The kids were sitting in a circle on the old plush sofas and beanbags that had been there forever. It was a cozy little area, and when the little kids were still at home, Jack always loved to take them out to the barn and having a little sleep over party. They’d indoor camp with sleeping bags and a fire blazing in the fireplace. Jack always made sure Mac didn’t get anywhere the fire because no wanted any explosions.

Mac sat wedged between Riley and Jack on the sectional, arms crossed over his chest. “I know you’re all here to try to tell me how I should live my life and lecture me about it. You might as well get it over with so I can listen to what you have to say and then storm out.”

“Don’t act like a brat,” Matty warned in her “I’m your big sister and I knew you when you still were afraid of the dark” voice.

“Just get to the point.”

“You need to get that bitch out of your life.” Jack couldn’t help starting off strong. He hated that girl. He could see trouble in her eyes, and the way she treated Mac didn’t seem quite right. Jack hated to think what went on behind the scenes.

“Jack, Nikki’s not a bitch. Why do you always villainize her? You’ve been like this since I first brought her home, and I’d like if you could just try to be nice to her.”

“Because she’s evil, Mac. All she cares about is herself, and I want you to be with someone who will at least put you first some of the time. It’s not much to ask that she gives you some consideration.”

“She’s good for me, and I love her. I think I’m going to marry her someday. In fact, I’ve even been looking at rings.” Mac was mostly just trying to get a rise out of Jack, but he did have a feeling he would be marrying her someday.

“You can’t fucking marry her,” Jack seethed. What was going on in his little brother’s head? This wasn’t going to fly with him.

“Want to bet?”

“Jack’s right,” Riley said, words she rarely ever uttered. It was even rarer for her to take someone’s side of Mac’s in an argument. “You can’t marry her.”

“Riley! You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“I am. You know that. I’m always on your side, Mac. That’s why I’m saying this.”

“Then you would know that Nikki is perfect for me.”

“She hit you, Mac.”

“She did what?” Jack yelled at the same Matty mumbled something along the lines of, “She better watch her back.”

Mac’s eyes glistened, whether from humiliation, hurt, or rage wasn’t clear. His focus was on Riley. “I told you not to say anything about that. It was only once. We were having a fight and things got out of hand. It was my fault. I was pushing her buttons, and she lost her cool.”

“It’s not your fault, and I bet you didn’t hit _her_ no matter how heated the argument got,” Matty commented darkly.

“I _will_ hit her. I don’t care if she’s a girl. Someone beats up my little brother and there will be hell to pay.”

 “Stop. I don’t need your big brother act.” He looked at Matty, “Or your big sister act. It was a mistake, nothing more. Nikki’s not like that.”

“She obviously is. It doesn’t matter why she hit you or that it was just this once. I’ve seen the way she treats you, and I don’t like that things have escalated to physical violence. You’re obviously trying to excuse it away, but I’ve dealt with plenty of abusive assholes in my line of work, and this just doesn’t feel right.”

“Mac,” Bozer tried to reason, “Jack is right. It’s better to get out now than to wait until things get worse.”

Mac shot Riley a cold look. “This is all your fault.”

“I’m sorry, but I shouldn’t have kept quiet in the first place because what she did is not okay.”

“Goddamn right it’s not okay, Riley.”

“Mac isn’t going to listen to us if we don’t at least try to listen to his side of things,” Matty said diplomatically.

“If I tell momma, he will.”

“You’re not going to tell her anything,” Mac snapped. “She already thinks I can’t take care of myself, and I don’t need to give her more ammunition.”

“She does not think that, Blondie. She’s a mom. She worries about us, but it isn’t because she doesn’t think you can take care of yourself. Ever since dad died, she’s been a little lonely, so whenever her kids are around, she tends to go into mom mode.”

“Maggie isn’t going to take it well if we keep this from her. I think it’s best to just come clean to her, man. Besides, if you can’t tell her, then that means what Nikki did wasn’t as small of a deal as you say. If you want it to remain a secret, doesn’t that kind of prove that it never should have happened in the first place?”

Mac’s cheeks flamed. “I’m not embarrassed about it or anything.”

“Nor should you be.”

“Please don’t tell her.” Mac had brought out his puppy eyes. Damn kid. He knew they all had trouble resisting those baby blues.

“I’m not happy about this,” Jack said, “and I know I can’t force you to leave her, but if she hurts you again—”

Matty cut in, “If she hurts you again, I’ll personally make sure that you never see her again.”

Bozer laughed tensely. “That sounds ominous.”

Matty gave him her best interrogation face, “It should.”

Mac looked down at his phone, “Oh, shit.”

“What?” Riley asked.

“I have twenty-three texts and six missed calls from Nikki. I have to go see what’s wrong or she’ll kill me.”

Mac’s siblings all tensed, looking like they were ready for a fight.

“No,” he corrected himself, “That’s not what I meant. It was a figure of speech. Nikki worries when I don’t answer. It’s sweet that she cares.”

“It’s obsessive is what it is,” Bozer muttered.

“You don’t get it. Maybe if one of you had a girlfriend you’d understand.”

“I have one,” Riley argued.

Mac rolled his eyes, “You and Sam don’t count. You’re more like friends with benefits.”

“It’s called a slow burn romance, _little brother._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this. Comment and give me your feedback if you want to. I love you all xxx


	3. Fighting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mac comes knocking at his mother's door.

Maggie woke to a knocking at the door. She checked her clock to see that it was 1 am. Grabbing her cellphone from her nightstand, she made her way down the steps to see what the commotion is all about. Worry filled the pit of her stomach, as her mind began imagining the worst. Nevertheless, it wasn’t something she could ignore. She wasn’t one to be scared away easily. Her biggest fear was that it had something to do with one of her kids. 

She looked through the peephole, and quickly unlatched the door, letting the shivering figure in, “Mac, honey, what are you doing here?” She ushered him onto the couch. It had been just over two weeks since Maggie’s birthday, and she hadn’t seen her son since.

Maggie nestled a quilt around his shoulders, and he looked ten years old again— scared, fragile, and guarded. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Mac replied, not meeting her eyes. She sat on the couch next to him, drowsy but giving him her full attention.

“It obviously does matter, or you wouldn’t be here looking like you do.” She pulled him close to her, letting his head fall on her shoulder. She kissed the top of his head, brushing her hands through his blond hair like she did when he was a kid and sick.

“I’m such an idiot,” Mac finally uttered.

“Mac,” she scolded gently, “you know I don’t let anyone talk to my son that way. He doesn’t deserve that.”

“But that’s what I am. I never learn. Once again, I’m the reason that Nikki is angry with me.” He sighed, “I don’t think she’ll forgive me this time.” Maggie wasn’t so sure that would be a bad thing. After a long conversation with Matty and Jack, she wanted Nikki Carpenter as far away from her baby as possible, but she couldn’t push Mac too hard or he’d fall harder into Nikki’s arms and sever any connection to his family, which couldn’t happen. Maggie had to have subtly, even if she just wanted to bring Mac home and never let him go out into the big bad world again.

“Did you have another fight?”

“Fight is putting it gently. I’m so stupid. I don’t know how I’ve made it through life being so stupid.”

“Do you want to tell me what you think you did that was so stupid?”

“It’s just little things. That’s what out fight was about. Nikki doesn’t ask a lot from me, but when she does, I’m always getting things wrong. Like the final straw was me getting dinner. We ordered take out, and when I got it home, the order was completely wrong.”

“But that isn’t your fault,” Maggie reasoned. She didn’t know the full story, but it seemed pretty clear that Mac was reverting to his “it’s always my fault ways.” She was afraid of what would happen if that mentality progressed. Mac had always been a sensitive child, feeling things more deeply than most people would have guessed. His default setting was to believe he was the source of pain or misery, and she’d been trying for years to reset that tendency. He had greatly improved, but now he was regressing, a major red flag.

“Yes, it is because I should have made sure it was right. I was careless, and I ruined our romantic night because of it.”

“None of this seems like anything to get so worked up about.  You didn’t ruin anything. Mistakes happen, and if they ruin your whole evening, something’s not right. Nikki’s not going to stay angry about a mistaken food order.”

“No, I know that, but that’s just the symptom, not the problem.”

“And what’s the problem?”

“That I do everything wrong.” Maggie felt like she had been sucker punched. Mac’s head was in a very bad place.

“Did she tell you that?”

Mac paused, clearly not sure if he should answer truthfully. Finally, he shook his head. “She didn’t have to. I read between the lines. The whole thing was silly, but the fight blew up like fights do, and she got so angry that I couldn’t be there anymore. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I should have just kept my mouth shut because now that I left, she’ll just be more upset when I go back.”

“Perhaps, things aren’t working out between the two of you. There’s nothing wrong with walking away.”

Mac looked appalled at the suggestion, “I’m not walking away, especially when I’m the one who messed everything up.”

“She has culpability for what happened as well,” Maggie said as diplomatically as she could.

“I don’t think she’ll let me come home tonight.” The word _let_ only further unsettled Maggie. That girl had too much power over Mac, and he couldn’t even see how toxic the relationship was.

“Know you always have a place here, but if she doesn’t let you in your own home, that’s not acceptable behavior.”

“Mom, don’t be like that. This is the normal thing that happens when couples fight.”

“Did I ever tell your dad he couldn’t come home when we fought.”

“You two weren’t normal. Besides, it’s not like she actually told me I couldn’t come home. I just know that if I did it would make her angrier, and I don’t want another fight.” Mac looked exhausted, and Maggie knew she’d gotten all that she could out of him for the night.

“I think you need time to process this all, so why don’t we both turn in? Honey, you go to bed, and then when you wake, I’ll make you your favorite waffles.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“You know I’d do anything for you.”

“Even let me marry Nikki?” he asked tiredly.

She’d have to answer that carefully, “The thing about love is that it isn’t trying to control someone. It’s giving guidance, yes, and always support, but most of all, love is letting your loved ones make their own choices.” And a lot of hoping you can convince them to choose the option that will make them healthy and happy. Maggie learned long ago that you couldn’t force kids to do the best thing, but with patience, you could get them to eventually take a helping hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hope you enjoyed this installment. More of the other characters we know and love coming up (plenty of good Jack action). I just needed this to connect the story a bit so I could be on my way. Thanks for reading. Be back soon (I hope). Feel free to leave feedback xxx.


	4. Excuses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matty and Jack have dinner with their mom, worried about Mac.

Jack hadn’t seen Mac in weeks, and he was about to go to the kid’s house and drag him to see their mother, who insisted that she understood that Mac’s life was busy and that Mac was doing his best to fit his family in but who Jack knew was hurt and worried that she hadn’t seen her youngest son in nearly a month. Every time they tried to arrange something, Mac made an excuse why he couldn’t come: “I already promised Nikki we’d have dinner, just the two of us,” “I’m too busy at work,” or “Maybe next week.” Mac’s job was labor intensive, but the think tank kept fairly regular hours, so it shouldn’t have been that impossible to get Mac to make an appearance. Even Riley had noted his absence. Mac saw Riley the most, almost every day, and despite their close bond, Mac was even avoiding Riley.

“Momma, this isn’t right,” Jack said at dinner. It was just Maggie, Jack, and Matty at this particular gathering. The other kids had been busy. “Something’s seriously wrong. Riley told me she hasn’t seen Mac in five days.”

“Your brother has a lot going on right now. He told me work was keeping him very busy.”

“He’s lying.”

“Jack,” she scolded.

“I hate to admit it, but I think Jack is right,” Matty replied. Her job was to observe and get to the bottom of mysteries. It was Jack’s too, really. They’d both picked up on red flags that everyone else wanted to wave away. “Nikki’s controlling him, and she’s trying to isolate him so he can’t leave her.”

Maggie sighed, “If we push Mac, it’s only going to push him further away.”

Jack threw up his hands, “Then what are we supposed to do? We can’t do nothing.”

“We have to trust that Mac will save himself.”

“Bullshit! That’s not enough. I wish I could arrest that bitch. I know she had something to do with a couple deaths I’ve been investigating, but I have no evidence to prove it.”

“I could make her disappear,” Matty suggested.

“Jack, Matty, I know you want what’s best for your brother, but our actions have to be subtle. I want to protect my baby more than anyone, but Mac can’t know we’re trying to help him. Making Nikki disappear or putting her in jail won’t make Mac love her any less.”

“What methods do you suggest?” Matty asked sarcastically.

“We be here for Mac when he needs somewhere to go. We don’t judge him. We don’t push him to do what we think is best for him. We advise him and we nudge him, but we can’t try to control him. We protect him the best we can and we accept that we can’t force Nikki to stop being part of his life.”

“This sucks,” Jack pouted, rage filling his body.

“I know, honey, but I’ve faced worse adversaries than Nikki, James MacGyver for one. I’m willing to give everything I have for my kids, but I’ve learned putting your life on the line doesn’t save anyone if you don’t have a plan. Wits can get you anywhere, my loves.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short but I just wanted a little Matty and Jack moment with their mom before the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed this! Feel free to leave feedback.


	5. Jack Looks For Proof

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is frustrated trying to catch Nikki in her crimes, which he is discovering is worse than he initially thought.

At his precinct, Jack sat in his chair with his legs perched upon his desk. Desi was glancing at him, trying to figure out his mental state. She could tell there was something bothering him beneath his façade, and she could guess that thing had the initial NC.

Polished, and dressed sharply, Jack looked cool and collected, but his brain was working in overdrive, his lighthearted exterior starting to crumble in favor of impatience. Having to wait was one of the most bothersome parts of his job, and one that cop shows and action movies never showed. Jack did a lot of waiting, sitting around waiting for information and leads. Labs took time and so did computer searches. When Jack needed things expedited, he went to Matty or Riley for help secretly, but in this particular case that wouldn’t help because what Jack was waiting for was a clue, any bit of a clue, that could lead him to pinning a crime on Nikki Carpenter.

The problem was that she was careful to ensure she left no trace of criminal behavior. There was evidence to suggest that she did lots of bad things— the people she hung out with, the places she went, the way she snuck around, her treatment of Mac— but there was nothing to prove anything of those things. Jack didn’t even have enough to bring her in for questioning, and if he did, it would only wind up with Nikki going home and complaining about him to Mac and alienating Mac was the last thing Jack wanted to do. No, Nikki wouldn’t crack under interrogation. She was too good for that, and Jack knew it, even if he hated to admit it.

“Desi, we need to find something on Nikki Carpenter ASAP,” Jack said gruffly. He was sick of that bitch messing with his brother’s life. If he couldn’t get Mac to dump her, which he didn’t think he could, he was going to put Nikki in jail and maybe then Mac would see the light. He knew he couldn’t do much, but Jack needed to do _something._ His little brother was being hurt, and he’d already been hurt enough.

“I can’t just pull evidence out of thin air, Dalton. This girl is slippery. We’ve linked her to four dead men and counting, but we can’t connect her to their deaths. She’s not a novice at this.”

“That could be my brother next.” Poor Mac. Trouble followed the kid, whose dad himself had been a criminal as nefarious as Nikki. James had been more white collar, a con man, who used his own son in his cons. Mac had grown up learning the ins and outs of heists and cons. He’d learned to get something out of nothing, to bend people to his will. Of course, Mac had rejected that life. Maybe that’s why Nikki preyed on him so easily; Mac didn’t want to look at life as a chess game. He didn’t want to think that Nikki had only been using James MacGyver level tricks on him. Mac didn’t want to accept that he’d known all the rules of the game but had still been tricked.

“If it makes you feel better, none of the dead men were linked to her romantically. They all were associated with weapons deals.”

“Oh great, so my brother is dating a weapons dealer. That makes me feel so much better, Desi, thanks,” Jack replied dryly.

Desi exhaled, “I know how hard this is for you, but you need to keep your cool, or I’m going to make sure you’re nowhere near this case. I won’t let you put this operation in danger because you can’t control your finger.”

Jack crossed his arms. “I have excellent control of my trigger finger.”

Desi chuckled. “Maybe so, but you like to act before you think is my point. Don’t screw this up. Mac will only end up hurt if we don’t go about this the right way. We can’t move on Nikki until we’re sure the charges will stick or we’ll lose her.”

“I know. That’s why I have you, Des. You’ll keep me in line and help me make sure this girl gets what she has coming.”

“You know what might help?”

“Tell me.”

“Having Matty use her resources to dig into Nikki.”

“I’m sure she’s already done that.” Knowing Matty, she’d done that the moment Mac had brought Nikki home. Matty hadn’t given details, but she’d admitted to hating Nikki from the minute she met her. Matty knew that girl was no good, and Jack knew his sister wouldn’t let that suspicion go. Even if Matty couldn’t do anything about the situation yet, Jack knew she was watching. She’d strike at just the right time, and Jack wanted to be there when that happened. “But I can ask her and see if she’s willing to tell me anything. I’ll treat her to her favorite restaurant and maybe then I can get her to divulge a little. Because Mac’s involved, she might actually do it.”

“If she’s anywhere near as protective of Mac as you, I’m sure she’d gladly murder anyone who stood in his way of happiness.”

Jack laughed. “Mac’s the baby of the family, so we’re equally protective, but Matty is more of a silent killer. She’s covert while I like to wave my gun around.”

“Sounds about right. It’s true to character, Dalton, that you lack nuance.” Desi knew her partner didn’t care for subtly, and that’s part of what him his (though she wouldn’t admit it) endearing self.

Jack grinned. “Don’t complain too much. My methods get shit done.” Nikki was done for. Jack knew that. He’d protect Mac no matter what the cost, but he knew that despite his instincts, he was going to have to be delicate about the situation. He couldn’t jump the gun. He had to be patient, and it was going to kill him. He felt itchy just thinking about having to contain himself around Nikki, pretending he wasn’t going to take her down as soon as the chance came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this! Thought I'd show some insight into Jack digging into Nikki and how manipulative and clever Nikki is. Thanks for reading. Feel free to leave feedback.


	6. Cherry Wine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Cherry Wine by Hozier.

**_Her eyes and words are so icy, oh but she burns like rum on the fire_ **

There was no doubt that sex with Nikki was magic, a sensual, heated exchange that left Mac grinning uncontrollably in the afterglow of those fleeting moments of doting and carefulness, Nikki’s body soft against his and her eyes breathtakingly gentle. Her fingers were ghostly over his skin, barely skimming the surface. The freshly cut ends of her hair were prickly against his shoulders and chest, and the sensation calmed him, made Mac feel like they were one. Times like these when they fit so perfectly together were heaven.

Mac loved the way Nikki would fling herself into his arms when she got home from work, and he’d swing her around, feeling just as giddy. Giggling and squealing with delight, Nikki would put her lips to his neck, her blonde hair falling wildly around her face, tousled and sun streaked from weekends spent at the beach. He’d lift her up higher, wrapping her tan legs around his waist and carry her to bed.

He loved the warm, sepia colored moments, the burning love that always culminated in hours of sex, wine, and food. The warmth of sweaty, entangled limbs radiated from them as they fed each other chocolate that melted the second it touched their hands, wiping all the filth on the sheets that Nikki promised sweetly she would clean in the morning. She licked chocolate from the corner of Mac’s lips, making him feel wanted. He would close his eyes, photographing the memory in his mind and memorizing the feeling of being touched with lust and adoration mixed into one.

If only they could stay in bed forever, laughing and loving, and she’d touch him like a child touches her favorite porcelain doll.

**_Hot and fast and angry as she can be. I walk my days on a wire._ **

While they had their fair share of issues, living with Nikki wasn’t that bad. She had a temper. Mac knew that, but like he did in any difficult situation, he adapted. He MacGyvered a solution, piecing together little tidbits of information he had to minimize Nikki’s rage. It was a science. When doors slammed and Nikki got dreadfully quiet, he knew that he should tread lightly— stay silent and make sure when the doors he shut were closed so lightly that their little click couldn’t be mistaken for a slam.

He knew to avoid certain foods and smells depending on her mood. If she’d had a bad day, cinnamon— rolls, candles, scone, gum— calmed her while citrus scents sent her into a red fume. A wrong spray of cleaner or the unraveling of an orange could make Nikki so angry, but Mac had learned, and for the most part, he could keep the peace. All he had to do was balance the thin line between the woman he loved and the one he feared. That was the worst part: his dream and his nightmare were housed in the same person, so what could he do but learn to love them both and do his best to keep the nightmare away?

**_It looks ugly, but it's clean._ **

While Mac’s family always said he’d never have stability with Nikki, that their relationship would always be vitriolic, life with Nikki wasn’t like that at all. It wasn’t chaotic. It looked that way from the outside, but it made perfect sense to Mac. It was ordered, all around Nikki but order just the same. Everything happened in due time.

They went through the same cycles of fighting, making up, laughing, loving, fighting again, and it was normal, predictable. Mac could sense where they were in the cycle at any given moment. He only ran into trouble when it switched so quickly that he couldn’t get out of the way. When they were done fighting, they talked things out, and it felt like they could start anew, try to be better tomorrow. Nikki always promised she’d stop, that she’d get her temper under control. After the outburst, things went back to being calm, and for a while, the worries went away.

They swept up the broken dishes and picked up the thrown books, put everything that had been displaced back on shelves and end tables, and they bought new of whatever was beyond repair. By the time they were done, everything was as it should be. Bruises healed and their house calmed, no longer about to buckle under the stress. Mac could close his eyes, sleeping easily with the stillness that always followed the disaster.

**_Oh momma, don't fuss over me._ **

“Mom,” Mac would say. “I need a place to stay for the night.” He hated to admit that he’d messed up again, made Nikki angry, forced her into shouting at him and throwing the plain white plates they’d gotten at a yard sale at the wall. They’d stop trying to buy nice ones.

“She didn’t throw them _at_ me,” Mac would insist, as his mother tended to the gash on his face where the shrapnel had lodged itself just under his eye. “It was an accident.” Maggie would nurture Mac, hugging him and warming his chilled bones with hot chocolate and heaps of blankets. She’d push his golden hair back from his face, and Mac would melt into the gentle touch, craving it and unable to get enough. His mom would hold him, sheltering him from the cruel touch of love, and he’d have a reprieve from the bipolar life he had with Nikki, the confusing teetering between heaven and hell.

“If you ever have had enough with her, I’ll be here. I’ll get you out.”

“I know,” Mac would say with no intention of ever taking her up on that offer.

**_The way she tells me I'm hers and she is mine._ **

“Hello, _boyfriend_ ,” she would say when she came home, emphasizing the last word.

Mac would smile. “Hello, girlfriend _.”_  The ritual had started when they had first started dating and decided to make their relationship official. They’d been at a restaurant. Nikki had smiled, offering Mac her hand. “Hello, boyfriend,” she said and Mac shook her hand, replying with, “Hello, girlfriend.”

The gesture had quickly turned into a show of ownership. They’d be in a bar, and a girl would ask Mac if he knew where the bathroom was because he had a face people could trust. Nikki would come over pushing into the conversation, “Hello, boyfriend,” she would say and glare at the girl, or guy, or whatever person wasn’t her, until they went away.

“You’re mine, Angus MacGyver,” she’d say later when they were in bed, her straddling his legs. “I’m so lucky to have a man like you, a kind, selfless, smart, strong man who I can call all my own.”

She’d press her head close to his. Their noses would touch as they looked at each other in awe, turning their faces so they could ease into a kiss, Nikki’s lipstick marking him with her lip prints hot and sticky against his skin.

**_Open hand or closed fist would be fine._ **

Slaps were sharp while punches were a dull pain, and Mac had quickly learned the difference. Though, he wasn’t sure which was worse. Was it better for the quick sting or the crescendoing ache? Nikki rarely utilized either. She didn’t need to because Mac knew better than to get her that angry. Well, most of the time. He knew to tiptoe around her when her mood was sour. He knew how to avoid violence, most of the time, anyway.

**_The blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine._ **

Nikki always apologized after. Sometimes it took a day or two, but most times, it was instantaneous. She’d see the blood pooling under his skin in the spots where she had grabbed Mac’s arm too tight. She’d fall to the floor in a fit of tears. She’d sob and press her face into his chest, a shower of apologies mixed with warm, salty tears on his cool skin, and he’d melt, the air no longer frigid with accusations and threats.

Or if she struck his nose too hard, she’d wipe off the blood, and they’d laugh about how fragile noses were, and how she had given him a nose job for a fraction of the cost. Mac would wheeze, breaths short as he laughed along, not sure why it was so funny or why seeing Nikki smile made all his anger and hurt dissipate.

She’d tend to him all night after one of their fights, kissing gently up his chest as they laid in bed. She’d pour him wine, and kiss his lips, biting the corner until a little blood came out, the copper taste swirling with the last sip of dry red wine. Because there was a fine line between pleasure and pain, and after the pain, Mac knew there would always be pleasure. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please forgive me, Mackie. I’m so sorry.” Those were the only times Mac ever heard Nikki plead. Rubbing circles on his back, she’d calm him, her fruity perfume tickling his nose, but he always held in the sneeze because he couldn’t bear to let anything ruin the moment.

**_Calls of guilty thrown at me. All while she stains the sheets of some other._ **

Mac knew better than to talk to other women when Nikki wasn’t there. Even his relationship with Riley seemed to get on his girlfriend’s nerves. He’d come home, a smile still on his face from visiting his sister, and Nikki would immediately jump in with accusations, “You’re seeing someone else, aren’t. She’d seethe, “Am I not enough for you?” She was enough and so much more, and he tried to tell her that, but the more he did, the angrier she would get, “You never pay attention to me. It’s no wonder I do the things I do. With a boyfriend like you, I can’t be satisfied. You need to try harder, Mac. Please me, think of me instead of everybody else.” And he fell for her words, letting them pollute his mind with guilty thoughts.

He would feel sorry for his shortcomings and beg her. Oh, how much he begged her. He’d get on his knees and ask for her forgiveness. He’d apologized for not being enough for her, for disappointing the woman he loved. He’d buy her gifts, and flowers, and write her little love poems that were oh so sappy but oh so thoughtful. Mac made it his mission to be considerate.

Jealousy coursed hot in Nikki’s body, but Mac didn’t let his own jealousy burn. He ignored days when the sheets were changed twice in one day, or when Nikki came home with smudged lipstick and buttons out of place, or when she didn’t come until the wee hours of the morning because it was better to have part of her attention than none at all.

**_Thrown at me so powerfully just like she throws with the arm of her brother. But I want it. It's a crime…that she's not around most of the time._ **

Nikki was strong. She could easily hurt Mac terribly if she wanted to because he would never fight back. He couldn’t hurt someone he loved. It went against everything he believed in, but it was different when Nikki hurt him because he could handle it. She wasn’t well, her mind a wasteland of anger and insecurity, and she tried not to do it. She didn’t mean to hurt him. She did it without thinking, and Mac reassured himself of that each fight they had because Nikki could only hurt him if he let her, and if he let her, wasn’t that his own decision to make? It was worth it, it was all worth it, for those moments when Mac could exhale, letting his breath become one with hers.

**_Her fight and fury is fiery, oh, but she loves like sleep to the freezing_ **

The cacophony of a fight was adrenaline inducing as things flew through the room, and hands flew through the air— mostly just in gesticulation, but sometimes physical contact— with an energy that would later feed their intimacy, making the soft moments feel even softer in contrast to the harsh battle they’d had prior.

**_Sweet and right and merciful. I'm all but washed in the tide of her breathing._ **

At night, as the stars glimmered in the sky, and the moon lit the room with a tranquil glow, Mac would watch Nikki sleep and be calmed by the rise and fall of her chest. He couldn’t get to sleep without it. He’d watch the rhythm of her breaths and get lost in it. He’d let her breathing steady his until his own eyes drooped closed and he drifted off to sleep, synchronized with the woman he loved more than anything. He wasn’t how he could ever sleep without Nikki there.

**_And it's worth it, it's divine. I have this some of the time. The blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine._ **

If anyone questioned why he stayed with Nikki, he would tell them it was because the good time outweighed the bad. He’d remind them of the honeyed moments, not mentioning the cloying air that followed him, sweetness staled in the turbulent rotations between calm and terror. He loved Nikki, he loved her so much that he would go through all the bad just to have a bit of the good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This gives some insight into Mac's mindset, even though it is clearly a warped one. I hope you enjoyed this. Thanks so much for reading.


	7. Nikki Strikes Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nikki is awful, Jack is great.

It was 2 am and Jack’s phone was buzzing. _Damn,_ he thought, _I forgot to turn off the ringer again._ Too curious not to at least look, he checked to see who it was: Desi. _That’s weird. Why would Desi be calling me at this hour? It must be something bad._

He answered gruffly, sleepiness seeping into his voice, “What is it, Des?”

“I was working late, you know how it is, and I heard on the radio there was a domestic disturbance at Mac’s address.”

Jack shot up in bed. “What the fuck? Is Mac okay?”

“I think so. They sent him to St. Theresa’s because he had a head injury and needed some stitches, but otherwise, he seems to be okay.”

“That’s not okay! St. Theresa’s you said? I need to get there, now.” Jack was already pulling on his pants.

“Are you sure you want—”

“Of course, I’m sure! He’s my brother. Shit, I need to call my mom. Thank god she has a landline because I know she’s smart enough to make sure her phone is off at that this hour. She’ll make sure Matty, Riles, and Boze are informed.” Jack said that last bit more for his own sanity than Desi’s benefit. Having a large family meant having to keep a lot of people informed when things like this happened.

“Okay, Jack. If I get anymore intel, I’ll call. And be safe driving. It won’t help anyone if you’re in a car accident.”

Jack laughed. “A car accident wouldn’t stop me from being right beside Mac.”

“No, but it could make you Mac’s roommate.”

“I’ll be careful,” he assured. “Thanks, Desi.”

“Anytime, Dalton, but you let me know if you plan on kicking that psycho bitch’s ass.” He could almost hear her grin, “Because if you do, I want in on it.”

* * *

 

Jack arrived at the hospital faster than should have been possible, but the streets were clear, and Jack’s foot was heavy against the gas pedal. He rushed into Mac’s hospital room, flashing his ID to gain entrance, and was enraged when he was a familiar blonde next to Mac’s hospital bed, holding his hand, rubbing circles on his shoulders, “You poor, baby,” she cooed in a cloying voice that made Jack nauseous.

“Get away from him!” Jack couldn’t help but yell.

“Jack,” Mac said firmly, “She’s my girlfriend.” He paused for a moment, his brain slow from the concussion Jack presumed. “How did you even get here anyway? I didn’t tell anyone I was here.”

Nikki smirked, “Don’t worry, Jack, I’ll take care of him.”

“Take care of him? You did this to him!”

“She didn’t,” Mac insisted, and Jack couldn’t help but stare at the gauze on his arm, probably covering the stitches Desi said Mac had gotten.

“Buddy, the police were called for a domestic disturbance. Your neighbors heard shouting, and then you wound up hurt. It doesn’t take a detective, which I am, to figure out what happened.”

Mac wouldn’t give in. He gripped Nikki’s hand tighter, holding their linked hands in the air to show Jack. “We’re fine now. Nikki didn’t do anything to me. We _were_ fighting, and then I tripped on the leg of a chair and ended up with a knot on my head and a gash on my arm. That’s all. It’s not a big deal.”

“Nikki, you look tired. Why don’t you go get some coffee and I’ll stay here with Mac for a while?” Jack suggested, but it was a demand more than anything.

“I don’t think Mac’s in the mood for a lecture from his overbearing brother who’s paranoid on top of it all.”

“Nik, why don’t you go? Don’t worry, I won’t listen to any of Jack’s bullshit. He may doubt you, but I don’t.”

Looking peeved, she obliged. She kissed his head, “Okay, baby, if that’s what you want. I’ll be back soon.” She gave Jack a hard look. “Try not to inflict my boyfriend too much with your ‘southern charm’” Then, she was gone, and Jack saw Mac release a breath he was holding.

Jack sat down next to his brother, “You can tell me what happened, Mac.” Jack didn’t think Mac would talk, but he wanted to give his brother every chance.

Mac wasn’t interested in answering Jack. “Did you call mom?”

Jack nodded, “She’s on her way now.” Hopefully, following the speed limit. For all her saintly attributes, Maggie wasn’t a good driver to begin with, and add a hurt child and it was a recipe for disaster.

Mac looked defeated more than mad. “Why did you have to do that? I’m fine.”

Jack chuckled, trying to keep the air light. “You know what she’d do if I kept this to myself. She’d deprive me of cookies for a year, Mac, and I really love those cookies. I wouldn’t survive a year without ‘em.”

Mac smiled a little at that thought, “Do you think having a concussion will earn me a lot of cookies?” He joked, “Maybe I got a concussion just to get extra sweets.”

Jack rubbed Mac’s shoulder because in Mac’s concussed state, hair ruffling probably wasn’t a good choice. “Don’t get in the habit of getting concussions. You don’t need to end up in the hospital for Mom to make you goodies, kid. We both know you have her wrapped ‘round your finger. She’ll make you what you want anytime.”

Maggie looked into the room, smiling at her boys. “You know I will,” she said, giving Mac a kiss on the forehead, right where Nikki’s lips had just been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick one, but shows how things are escalating. It's pretty much dialogue, but oh well. I hope you enjoyed this. Feel free to leave any feedback. I always love hearing from you. xxx


	8. Matty Uncovers Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is what it says on the tin.

Matty kept her demeanor calm as she rolled her sleeves and began a deep dive into the life and crimes of Nikki Carpenter. She was putting all her extra time into this because she didn’t want another phone call detailing how Mac had been hurt by the woman who supposedly loved him. If she couldn’t talk Mac out of the bad situation, she would have to remove Nikki. She knew she couldn’t force Mac to do anything, but she couldn’t help but try to protect her brother. Their mom looked in on them from the kitchen, clearly wanting an end to the Nikki Carpenter Reign of Tyranny as much as anyone else.

Maggie had been calling Mac at least twice a day to make sure he was okay. She’d also called him asking for favors around the house several times, blaming her arthritic fingers when she really just wanted him close. She wasn’t the type of mother to hover. She knew when to give her kids space but seeing her baby in the hospital made it increasingly hard to go about her day without obsessing about the horrors Mac might be going through with Nikki. The abuse was escalating, and the impact of it was permeating through the whole family. Worry was not a strong enough word for how they all felt. For now, all they could really do was be there for Mac, tell him that he could come to them whenever, and promise that if he needed them that they could always come to him.

Nevertheless, Nikki was a criminal who needed to be brought to justice, and with their careers, both Jack and Matty knew exactly how such endeavors worked. The oldest siblings had many late-night phone calls trying to share information and plan. Jack was getting frustrated with the lack of progress, swearing into the phone and going on angry rants. Matty kept calm, but that same kind of rage was boiling inside her. The situation had forced her to do things she didn’t like doing, calling seedy contacts, one in particular boiling her blood every time she heard his voice. She’d been calling in favors left and right, and it was exhausting, but well worth the chance of sorting out such a disheartening situation.

For Matty, getting the best of bad people was business as usual, but this Nikki business was personal. Her little brother was in danger, and there was no way in hell that she was going to stand by and not at least do a little CIA (and beyond) level digging into Nikki. She’d reached out to several colleagues for information and was currently at her mom’s house directing Riley to access a few databases for information. Riley would be quicker than any tech person Matty knew from her work. It helped to have the best within the family.

“Matty, what if we don’t find anything?” Riley asked. She’d been panicking about Mac since he’d wound up in the hospital, and Matty could tell by the bags under Riley’s eyes that she’d not been getting enough sleep. Matty felt the same, but she was a lot better at hiding her terror at the Nikki situation. “I can’t keep living with the thought that next time it might get worse because that’s what happens. It keeps getting worse, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”

Matty shot her little sister a reassuring look, not quite a smile but a glance that the whole family knew meant “everything will be okay.” Then, she spoke, “Don’t worry about that. In cases like these, thing always turn up. Without saying too much, it’s my job to make sure I get books full of information even when I shouldn’t be able to get anything at all. It may take a while, but no criminal leaves no evidence behind. Even the lack of evidence can tell us something.”

“All the stuff I find about Nikki is all good, though. Nothing crime related at all.  She was an honors student, lots of awards—even one for her volunteering at a children’s hospital. She graduated college and began work for a nonprofit. On weekends, she works at soup kitchens.  From what I can see her, she’s a model citizen.” She built a nice façade for herself; Matty knew that from the day she’d met Nikki, but there was darkness that lingered beneath the surface, and Matty would chip away until she found it. Riley would too.

“You can’t just look at the surface. I need more than just newspaper clippings, okay? Use your beautiful brain to find something that can destroy that bitch.”

“Is that permission to go beyond legal searches?” Riley asked with a glint in her eye. “Because if so, I can find you pretty much everything about her.”

“It’s permission to do whatever you need to do without getting caught.” Matty said with a wink. She wouldn’t officially condone illegal behavior, but of course, she wasn’t law enforcement. She worked in espionage— working around legality was her specialty.

Matty’s phone began to ring, one of the contacts she had reached out to was calling her back, “I have to take this. It could be important.”

“Work or Mac?” Riley asked.

Matty shrugged, “Hopefully the latter, but probably a little bit of both. James doesn’t care about helping anyone without helping James.”

“James as in—” Yes, that James, a shitty father but a superstar among criminals. As much as she hated him, Matty couldn’t deny that James had good information. The hard part was getting said information out of him. He’d require something in return.

Matty didn’t answer, “James. Did you get anything?”

“How’s Angus?” he asked, and it was a surprisingly un-self-centered question to start a conversation with. Matty was under no illusion, though, that James had asked it for unselfish reasons.

“Mac is not your concern anymore,” she replied coldly.

“I’m his father.”

“You were never his father,” Matty snapped before regaining her composure. “You were never his father,” she repeated icily. Mac’s real father had died. James was just a sour memory. “You stopped being his father when you got him involved in your criminal activities. You chose to relinquish your title, and you can’t have it back”

“They were just little cons. It’s not like I had him jumping out of planes or engaging in gun fights.” If Matty could have reached through the phone and punched him, she would have.

“You had him get hit by a car— on multiple occasions— so you could scam people into paying you money.”

“We made calculations to ensure he wouldn’t get hurt beyond bumps and bruises. We made sure it was as safe as possible”

“He was seven years old! He could have been killed. I’ve seen his medical records. Your schemes went beyond bumps and bruises. Either way, it was abusive, and certainly not worth the payout of those shitty little gigs.”

“Matty, I’m beyond little small-time gigs like that now. You know that. I stopped those when he got those broken ribs. They were only for fun, anyway. I’ve always been a big-league guy at heart. Having a wife and a kid changed that. I didn’t take the big risks when my family was still intact, but I still needed to blow off some steam. You can take the crime from the criminal but not the criminal from the crime.”

“You’re warped, James. You didn’t deserve a son as wonderful as Mac.” Mac was the opposite of his father: selfless, kind, and loving. He could be stubborn and headstrong, but it was all in the name of good.

“Oh, he was. I remember when he was nine, and that kid was a smart one. He helped me, allegedly of course, rob the Louvre among other targets. Obviously, I can’t admit to anything.” Matty didn’t care enough about James to bother with trying to catch him slip up. Right now, she had more important concerns. The FBI could deal with the conman. She’d be sure to let them know what to look into, though.

He was such a bastard. A dumb, occasionally brilliant, narcissistic bastard. “My point is, you have no claim to be his father. Not now, not ever.” Matty thought of her own father, and it made her sick to think how awful James was in comparison. Matty’s dad has been a saint, and she hated to think about how long Mac had to deal with James and his self-centered view of the world. James had forced his child to be part of his crimes, and it was unforgiveable.

“He’s the reason you came to me for help. Maybe you should be nice to me, Matilda.”

“Maybe you should care about someone other than yourself. Yes, I’m actually worried about Mac, and I have a feeling that knowing Nikki, you know exactly how much danger he is in, but that doesn’t seem to faze you.”

“I taught Angus to know a con. He knows what that woman is. It’s his own fault if he sticks around.”

“He’s in love. He can’t see that she’s bad for him. None of this is his fault. Do you have information or not? I didn’t contact you to catch up.”

“Mostly stuff you already know. She’s left a trail of men, mostly rich men she robbed. She hasn’t left much of a trace, but we all know what she’s been doing even if we can’t prove it. I don’t care to prove it. Us criminals must stick together, you know.”

“Mac doesn’t have much money for her to take. Why would she want to be with him?” Matty could think of a million good reasons a person would love Mac, but Nikki cared about money, and Mac wasn’t in his line of work for the pay.

“Maybe she’s actually in love,” James said, clearly hiding what he knew.

“Perhaps, but she also wants something. Do you know what?”

“It’s a gem.”

“Mac doesn’t have anything like that.”

“There’s a necklace I gave him for safe keeping when he was a kid.”

“What’s to say he still has it? He didn’t exactly want mementos of you.”

“I told him it was his mother’s.”

“I’m guessing it’s not.”

“No, it’s a precious necklace valued at around $50 million.”

“Why hasn’t she taken it and been on her way? Mac doesn’t even have a safe. It was probably readily available for her to swipe.”

“Nikki likes the game of stealing as much as the reward. She likes the manipulation and bending people to her will. She doesn’t sneak into the museum to get what she wants. She walks right in, wearing a ball gown and a smile. She blends in and tricks people into leading her where she needs to go.” There was a pause. “And like I said, she might just be in love, or as much in love as a girl like Nikki can be. She loves what Mac can do for her even if she doesn’t love Mac for who he is.”

“Do you have any information that can help me catch her?”

James laughed. “I think I’ve told you quite enough. I don’t want a reputation as a snitch. I’ve given you all I can,” Matty was losing him, and she knew he wouldn’t stick around long enough for him to let her drag more out of him. He knew better than to provoke Matty the Hun. “I’ll call you when I want you to return the favor,” he said, and before she could argue, he hung up.

She slammed her phone to the coffee table, “Selfish son of a bitch.”

Riley, who had been clearly listening to the whole conversation, said, “Maybe he won’t tell you anything, but I think I’ve got some dirt.”

Matty perked up, “Tell me more.”

“To start, I found some suspicious bank activity and some carefully timed trips abroad.”

Matty smiled, patting her sister on the shoulder, “That’s my girl.” She sat on the couch next to Riley, “Give me everything you have.”

“Nothing would make me happier.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm an idiot who put this in the wrong story, but I've fixed it now, and I think this is right now haha. Anyways, thanks so much for reading. I hope you liked this. I was really excited to put some more Matty moments in this because I love her silent strength. I also like showing more vulnerable moments with her that show that while she remains stoic she does have a lot of passion and heavy emotions like everyone else. Thanks for being incredible and feel free to leave any thoughts you have on this.


	9. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mac Walks on eggshells around Nikki

Mac crept through the door, hating how loud the deadbolt was when it clicked open. He quickly punched in the security code, and entered the house, delicately letting the door click closed. He needed to be as quiet as possible, but his work boots were loud against the laminate. He took as few steps as possible to the nook where they kept their most used shoes, and pulled his boots off, relieved at the softness of his socks against the floor. He knew tip toeing didn’t work in an old house, but he tried anyway.

With choreographed steps, he stepped over places he knew would creak, avoiding the area near the old curio cabinet where dishes would shake and clatter with even the lightest of weight near them. He sat his backpack on the floor by the couch where it would be out of the way and sat on the couch for a minute to collect himself before finishing his nightly routine and crawling stiffly into bed.

The air conditioning at the think tank had been broken, so Mac was drenched with sweat, but he knew he couldn’t take a shower because it was 11 pm, and the shower would make too much noise. Nikki was already be in bed, and if Mac woke her up, she’d grumble at him, go back to sleep, and be angry all morning. She would probably just yell at him, but Mac was too tired to risk a physical altercation. It was easier just to be careful because while there was no way to predict Nikki’s rage, there were ways to minimalize it.

After a long day at work and very little time to eat, he was starving, and it was a catch twenty-two because getting food might make noise but so would his growling stomach. He avoided the fridge, avoiding the smack of the seal breaking. He skipped the bread drawer because the swoosh of the roll open seemed too loud given how quiet the house was. He opened the pantry door and looked at all the food. There wasn’t much because it had been a while since they had been shopping, but Mac knew chips were too crinkly and so were the little individually packaged cupcakes he loved. He settled for a handful of nuts, shoving them into his mouth and returning the tin to its place on the shelf.

He pushed the pantry door back to its place, but he didn’t close it completely so the door wouldn’t click, but he reminded himself to get up early, before Nikki, so that he could close the door before his girlfriend woke and yelled at him for leaving the door open. He couldn’t set an alarm, so he’d have to rely on his internal clock to get him up promptly. He'd suffer if it didn't. 

Leaving the kitchen, Mac went to the other side of their home, where the guest bathroom was. He couldn’t use their bathroom, not when Nikki was so close. He kept most of his stuff in the guest bathroom, anyway, out of Nikki’s way. She hated when he took up too much space, so he kept his stuff as condensed as possible. 

He went to the bathroom, taking a deep breath before the horrendous sound of a flush filled his ears. He washed his hand as quickly as he could so the water wouldn’t run too long, and he brushed his teeth with an electric toothbrush but kept the power off. He flossed and rinsed his mouth out with mouthwash, relieved at how quiet these activities were. Then, he wiped out the sink with a paper towel to leave no trace that a person had been there.

Heart pounding in his chest, he went back to creeping, resuming the game of floorboard roulette. When he was home, there were all kinds of games he played to keep from bothering Nikki,: properly steeping her tea (three and a half minutes, she’ll know if it’s fifteen seconds more or less), the proper flowers to bring home (Lilies if she’s mad at Mac, roses if she sees him with a female coworker, carnations if he wants her wrath), or what clothes to wear (Nikki hates him in green, likes him in red when they’re on a date but won’t let him wear red to work) Games like these were normal but time consuming, but he needed to win them.

It took so much thought to be so careful and drained him. His brain was constantly running calculations of how to keep the peace, which could have been a full-time job. Even at work, his brain would veer off course as he contemplated what things would be like when he got home and tried to access whether Nikki expected flowers or if she’d accuse him of cheating if he brought them.  

Just outside his bedroom door, he unbuttoned his shirt and unzipped his pants. He took them off, and his socks too, in the hall before creeping into the room, feeling plush carpet under his feet. He dumped his clothes into the laundry basket, and he treaded carefully to his side of the bed. He took a breath, knowing that this part of going to bed was always delicate. He needed to be very slow and steady.

With delicate motions, more delicate than the ones he used to disarm a bomb, he pulled back the covers of the bed, clenching his eyes shut in anticipation and putting his weight against the mattress as gently as possible. Nikki shifted, and Mac held very still, praying that she was just rolling over. When he was sure that she was still sleeping, he couldn’t even exhale. He couldn’t toss or turn. He laid in bed like a log, staying perfectly still until he finally fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I didn't fall of the face of the Earth. Here's an update to this finally. I hope you've enjoyed this. Hopefully, I'll update again soon but I make no promises. Thanks for sticking with this!


	10. Free At Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mac defies Nikki

After Riley found information that led to more information about Nikki being a criminal and a black widow, Matty immediately called Jack. “Jack, we’ve got her. I’ve found the smoking gun— a whole file full of them, and I’m going to send some of my agents to the Mac’s house to see if we can get her. She’s planning on selling something that, without saying too much, would go against national security interests.” Jack sighed. He was at home, resting up after a shift, and the relief from finding something on Nikki was so great. He was starting to doubt that they’d ever find anything on her, and he was skeptical that Mac would ever make the decision to leave.

“What did you find?” Jack asked, feeling his heart beat faster at the possibility that this was the end of Nikki’s reign of terror. He was sick of living on the edge of the seat, waiting for the day he got a call with news that Nikki had done something irreversible to Mac— like killed him. It was a nightmare the whole family shared and needed to wake up from.

“We’ve found bank statements that connect her to a plethora of crimes, which led us to then uncovering other damning information.” _Of course, it’s about the money,_ Jack thought, _it’s always about money._

“Good,” Jack said, exhaling a breath he’d been holding. Things were finally going their way and soon Nikki would be nothing more than a memory. When that happened, Jack would throw a party and celebrate that Mac was finally free.

“We’re going to move on her today, and I’ll take care of her, but I need you to take care of Mac.” Of course, Jack would do that. He’d been doing it his entire life.

“What do you need from me?” Jack asked. He knew he couldn’t interfere with Matty’s job, even if he was tempted to go in there and bust Nikki himself. His head was beginning to pound at the thought of Mac putting himself between Nikki and danger.

“I need you to go and visit Mac. Don’t tell him that anything is wrong. Just go be there and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid when my team busts in.”

“You think he’ll try to protect Nikki?” Jack asked, worrying the same thing. He had a bad feeling that Mac would jump in front of a bullet to protect Nikki if it came down to it, but he didn’t want to risk that.

“It’s possible, and it’s a risk I don’t want to take. Protect Mac as best as you can, and I’ll be not too far behind you to wrap this whole mess up.”

“Did you tell mom about any of this?” Maggie would want to know, but Matty probably shouldn’t have even been telling Jack about the whole thing. Surely, it was highly confidential if national security was at risk and Matty’s team was taking action.

“No, and I have no intention to until this is all over. She doesn’t need the worry, so you don’t tell her anything either, you hear me Jack? Focus on protecting our boy.”

“I always do. Talk later, Matty.”

“Talk later, Jack,” she replied before hanging up. ”Keep Mac safe.” Jack knew Matty was entrusting him with the most important part of the mission.

* * *

 

Mac’s eye was throbbing from a fight he’d had with Nikki earlier that morning. He’d tried to be careful coming home, but he had failed, somehow irritating Nikki with his actions. They’d fought, and then she’d hit him. It didn’t hurt that much, but Mac hated how afraid he was. He’d been scared that she’d kill him. She was angrier than he’d ever seen her, throwing his stuff at him and throwing punches to go along with the mess of shattered belongings raining around Mac. For the first time, at least seriously, Mac wanted to leave. He needed to get out because he couldn’t tiptoe around anymore. He wasn’t sure why this time was different than the others, but somehow, something in him had just clicked, and he’d understood that no person should have to live that way.

The problem was that he didn’t know how to leave. He couldn’t pack up his things and slip out because Nikki would notice. He was tempted to call his mom or one of his siblings, but this was something he had to deal with himself, and he felt stupid for being in the abusive situation to start with. He was smarter than that and should have known better. He was still blaming himself for all the bad things that Nikki had done to him, and he wouldn’t be able to stop doing so for a long time after much therapy. It was programmed into him to blame himself, and it would take time and patience to reprogram those feelings.

Mac sat on the couch, perfectly still as Nikki got ready in the other room, her hair dryer blowing loudly so that he could barely hear himself think. She was going about the day like nothing was unusual, like they were still the perfect couple that they had seemed to be when their relationship had first started. _How do I tell the woman I love, the woman I am afraid of, that I need to get out. I can’t stay here anymore, but how in the world can I leave?_  Mac’s mind whirled as he tried to find a solution to a problem that seemed impossible.

The hairdryer turned off, and Mac froze at the sudden silence, feeling more at edge now that there was nothing to drown out the sound of his movement. He couldn’t disappear from this dreaded situation. He had to continue to sit with the tumult. He listened to Nikki put on her makeup and then come out into the living room, making a seat of Mac’s lap. He wanted to tell her to get off, but the last thing he wanted to do was sour her mood. She was always more chipper after the fight. It was the only time she worked hard to make things feel normal. She acted like the ideal, doting girlfriend, making Mac feel like he was important to her.

“Babe, you’re so handsome today,” she said, kissing his cheek, but he knew she was lying. He had yet to get dressed yet and still had bed head, which Nikki hated and loved to scold him about.

“Thanks,” he said, not wanting to argue over something so stupid, even though her words filled him with a surge of anger. _She’s such a hypocrite. She doesn’t or recognize or care how much of a hypocrite she is._

Nikki kissed up and down Mac’s neck, and he pretended to be interested because she would get angry if he wasn’t in the mood. “You’re beautiful,” he forced himself to say, and it wasn’t a lie. He blonde hair framed her face perfectly and her eyes glimmered with passion. Nikki had always been beautiful, but she also had an ugliness that they’d never discussed.  

A knock at the door, interrupted the moment, causing Nikki to remove herself from Mac’s lap. She gave him a stern look, “Who is that?” It’s not like Mac ever invited anyone over. He wasn’t allowed to. Nikki said their apartment was a private oasis for them, but Nikki also had her friends over from time to time, making excuses for her behavior whenever Mac tried to argue that it wasn’t fair that she could have a friend from high school over when he couldn’t even have his family over. She’d roll her eyes and say, “That’s because they hate me. I don’t want any of that energy in _my_ apartment.” And like always, Mac would relent.

“Are you going to get that?” Nikki asked impatiently when Mac remained seated.

“You could do it,” he said bitingly, not meaning to let his frustration slip into his tone.

“Mac, don’t test me. We’ve already had a rough morning, and I don’t want you to make me do something I’ll regret.” She shot him a look. “Like you always do.”

He turned away and rolled his eyes as he headed to the door. “I saw that!” she called, probably rolling her own eyes.

Mac looked through the peephole of the door, feeling relief and terror all at once when he saw Jack. _Fuck._

“Who is it?” Nikki asked, and Mac paused a minute, wondering whether he should lie, not open the door, and tell her it was just a salesman, but Jack wasn’t going to go away. He’d stay until Mac opened the door.

“It’s my brother,” Mac said softly.

“What’s _he_ doing here? I told you to tell him that we moved so that he wouldn’t come here.”

“I did, but maybe he figured it out once he realized that some other person lived at my new address.”

Nikki crossed her arms, “You should have chosen a better address. One that wouldn’t give away that you’re a liar.”

“How was I supposed to do that? You can’t very easily tell someone you live in one place when you live in another. He’s a detective. He’s not that easily duped.”

Nikki didn’t look appeased, “Trust me, cops are idiots.”

“What do you want me to do about this?” Mac asked, not sure what Nikki would find to be the appropriate way of handling this problem.

“Are you just going to stand there like an idiot?” she countered. “Can you figure out nothing without my help, Angus. Are you really too stupid to come to your own solution?”

“But I—”

“Just answer the fucking door and make him go away.”

“I don’t think—”

“Yeah, you don’t.” She shoved him toward the door. “Luckily, with me around you don’t have to. Do what I say and get your brother away.”

“He’s not going to go away when he sees my black eye.”

“That’s not my fault.” _Actually, it is._ She gave a threatening look. “I can’t help that you’re a clutz.”

Mac sighed, “Okay, I get it. I was working on an experiment and got hit by a piece of debris.”

She patted his cheek. “Now, there’s my smart boyfriend.”

He nodded halfheartedly and answered the door, cracking it open just a little, hiding the bruised half of his face behind the door.

“Hey, buddy,” Jack said.

“What are you doing here, Jack?” Mac asked softly, trying to please Nikki without hurting Jack’s feelings by being dismissive.

“Just dropped by to visit my brother. You didn’t tell me you moved back to this address,” Jack said with a _I know your tricks_ expression.

“I’m sorry,” Mac said. “It’s really not a good time.”

“But I’m already here, so why don’t I come in for a few minutes and then I can leave. It’s been a while since we’ve talked. Mom misses you visiting her. Talk to me for a while, and I can reassure her that you’re okay.”

“I am okay.”

“Maybe, but it’s something I’d like to check out for myself.” _Maybe I can let Jack help me. I don’t know how to get out of this myself. Nikki is here so I can’t say much but maybe I can somehow let him know that I need help._

Mac sighed, released the chain from the door without Nikki’s permission, letting the door swing open. Jack kept his face neutral as he saw Mac’s black eye, but Mac could tell that his brother was analyzing Mac, looking for signs of other injuries. Jack, perhaps subconsciously, put his body between Mac’s and Nikki’s the minute he entered the house.

“Nice to see you Jack,” Nikki said, sitting down on a chair and not even trying to sound sincere.

Jack didn’t say anything in response. He guided Mac to the couch and turned his attention to his brother. “How are you doing, man?” Jack asked, code for _Are you okay?_

“I’ve been worse.” Code for _Not okay but surviving._ Mac and Jack always talked in code like this, and for the most part, they always understood what the other was really saying.

“Wow,” Nikki said sarcastically, “You two are exciting.”

“What happened to your face?” Jack asked, speaking louder than Nikki.

“Just an accident at work. You know how I like to experiment. Sometimes it goes wrong.”

“Any other injuries?” Jack asked, wanting to know what else Nikki had done.

Mac shrugged, “Mild ones.”

“You sure you want to keep working there?” Jack forced a chuckle to make it sound like a joke. _Do you want me to get you out of here?_

Mac gulped. This was a moment where he could continue pretending to be okay, or he could decide that he’d had enough and take the risk. “I’ve thought about quitting, but I don’t know that I can.” _I want out of here, but I’m scared and I’m not sure she’ll_

“You can,” Jack confirmed, putting an arm around Mac’s shoulder. “Very soon if you want to.” _Help is coming. I’ll help you, little brother._

“You can’t quit your job,” Nikki told him. “We have bills to pay.”

“There are other jobs out there. You just have to wait for something to come along, and trust me, I’m sure there are a million employers who will want to have you.”

“I don’t know about that,” Nikki said, “It’s better just to stay where you are.”

“But I need a change.”

“You don’t need change,” Nikki said, standing up in a rage. “Our life is perfect just as it is.” Our life, singular, their one shared life. _I want a life of my own._

“I can’t keep living like this, with bruises and black eyes and broken bones.”

Nikki scoffed, “You only broke your big toe during your… accident.”

“I could break something worse next time,” he replied coldly, hiding behind Jack.

Nikki stepped between Mac and Jack and grabbed Mac’ arm, fingers pressing into his pale skin. Terror filled Mac, but he couldn’t give in, not now. _Jack will protect me._

Jack pushed Nikki away, “Don’t touch my brother.”

“I’ll do what ever I want,” she said, shoving Jack to the ground so that his head hit the leg of the coffee table, making Jack’s brain pound in his skull and causing him to be slow to his feet.

She pushed Mac against the couch, got on top of him, and wrapped her hands around his throat. It became harder for Mac to breathe as she yelled at him, “Why do you always make me do this?”

Mac’s vision went blurry. “You can’t just let us be happy. We are supposed to be happy!” As Mac began to let his eyes droop, he found a final wave of energy and shoved Nikki off him. She rolled to the floor and was quick to her feet, fists flying, a porcelain angel being thrown at Mac’s face. But before she could do any lasting damage, the door bust open and Jack was on his feet restraining Nikki.

Matty smirked as she took Nikki into custody, “No one messes with my brother,” she said, taking Nikki away and leaving the medics to care for Mac’s bruised neck and test Jack for a concussion.

They were taken to the hospital and given side by side beds, where the family gathered, Maggie pulling her sons into her arms, so glad that they were both okay. She gave Mac an extra squeeze, “You’re safe now,” she said as he cried, letting out all the tension that had filled his body. “You’re safe with me.”

Mac nodded. “Yes,” he said with a small smile. “I’m finally free.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it. I originally had another chapter planned, but I liked this last one as the end better because I didn't want to drag it on (which is usually my specialty. Love beating a dead horse ;) ) Anyways, I hope you liked this. Thanks so much for reading and because I can't stop myself from playing with my own AUs, I may write some oneshots and whatnot later. so if you have any thoughts or ideas, feel free to leave them. thanks so much for reading and feel free to leave feedback. Love you all!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this. Feel free to leave any feedback. I hope to continue this soon.


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